The Old Magic
by BlueJasper
Summary: Sam has discovered a way to change vampires into humans.  Story not likely to be finished.
1. Prologue: The meeting on First Beach

**The Old Magic  
by JaspieTwink  
~+~**

The light of the full moon glistened against the soft waves of First Beach's ocean. The unusually clear sky that hung over La Push made the seven young men, and one young woman feel more powerful than they ever had. The tall, black haired leader looked over the reflection in the water, feeling the call to _change_ - to become a wolf, and bathe in the energy of the night. But it was not time for that just yet. As a wolf, his pack could hear his thoughts as their own; their spirits forever linked as the gaurdians of La Push. He had resisted the urge to shift into his spirit animal for many weeks as he researched, and thought, and planned. He couldn't trust them with his mind, not yet. Tonight, though, he'd find out which ones were worthy.

Sam Uley turned around to face the Quileute's. Most of them were hardwired to hate the vampire plague with the legends of their ancestors' battles. However, Bella Swan, a girl who was friends with both the vampires and the Quileute's, had begun to sow seeds of doubt - what with her being the catalyst for an alliance between the local bloodsucker _family_ and wolves against an invading army of vampires. Some of them had begun to even turn over the idea of being _friends _with the leeches. Sam had no hostilities towards the Cullen's, the forementioned bloodsuckers, but he did have a problem with the idea of his wolves, _his _family, dropping their guard or going easy on them. It was their duty, designated by fate, to prevent the lands of Forks, Washington from becomming the hunting grounds of the demonic masses.

Which is why Sam had been plotting. He wanted no war brought against the Cullen's; but he did need them gone. Now, he needed to find those he could trust.

"You are all here tonight in secret," Sam began, folding his arms in front of his naked chest. "Those of us who are not present should not be told of this meeting."

Sam let those words hang in the air as the wolves looked around. Some of them had already noticed the two that were missing, but Sam was surprised with how many didn't. Jacob Black was the abdicated chief; Seth Clearwater was both Jacob's admirer, and the only one of the wolves who had completely stopped considering the Cullen's as a threat. They were both deeply rooted in the tribe and highly respected. Their lack of presence should have been marked from the beginning - the wolves were getting lazy.

"This meeting is to determine the fates of the leeches who think that they can call this their home," Sam continued. "We are not going to kill them. We are not going to hurt them, if we can help it. But we are going to get rid of them."

"Why?" Interrupted a shaggy boy.

Although Quil Ataera enjoyed being a wolf, he was also sometimes neglectful of the responsibility put upon them. Sam didn't like him, and thought the young wolf was obnoxious at best. If it weren't for Quil's grandfather being one of their most revered elders, Sam might have had him chased off a long time ago. Or at least forbid him from being in their pack.

"Why? Because they are bringing in more of their kind," explained Sam. "They are peaceful, yes, but these others are growing more dangerous with each passing. They need to be gone before they bring in those _Volturi, _or have you forgotten what Bella's taught us?"

Quil shrunk back, but only in body. His will to stand up for the Cullen's wasn't affected. "They wouldn't let that happen."

"No, they wouldn't _let _it happen, but it would anyway. The Volturi are the kings of the leeches, and the Cullen's aren't strong enough to fight against them. As long as Bella is _with_-" Sam grimaced "-those vampires, we have to keep on high alert just in case they pop in to wreak havoc." The wolves looked wound up and ready to argue, but Sam silenced them with a deep growl. It wasn't usual for him to do that in human form, but he needed them to listen. They all quieted, suddenly reminded of Sam's alpha status. "But I can change that. If the Cullen's were humans, there wouldn't be any conflict. Not with us, and we can kill any vampire who might have something to tell their creepy overlords."

Leah Clearwater, Seth's older sister and a former lover of Sam's, stepped forward. She didn't look displeased, only confused. "How?"

Sam smiled. "All the legends our fathers and grandfathers have told us have been true. _All of them._ Our ancestors were tapped into a world of magic and spirits that is dismissed as fairytales today. But I've found old writings that let us tap into that magic too."

Leah's eyes sparkled with understanding. "We can fix them?"

Although the term brought a chuckle amongst the males in the group - they were, after all, _dogs_ - Sam agreed with it's use. They were going to undo the damage done to the souls of the Cullen's hundreds of years ago. Knowing what Bella had told Jacob, Sam felt like they'd be gracious about it too. In fact, he was planning a barbecue to celebrate their coming back to humanity.

All around Sam, people exploded into wolves. He shifted as well, breathing a sigh of relief as he entered the collective mind and heard everyone agreeing to the plan. The sable fur on Sam's back stood up as he absorbed the power of the moment. Knowing that they were as strong, as confident, as they were ever going to be, Sam let a howl mark the beginning of their attack. He then broke into a run, heading straight toward the invisible line that separated the undead from the mystical. His wolves followed after him, each one feeding off the energy and excitement he was exerting. Their speed broke all previous records, and, in no time at all, they had torn through the trees that engulfed the Cullen estate.


	2. Chapter 1

**The Old Magic  
by JaspieTwink  
~+~**

**Chapter 1.  
**

The Cullen household was quiet that night, as it was every night. Though unlike all the other households of Forks, Washington, the inhabitants were all awake - they hadn't slept since the fateful day their hearts stopped beating, and they woke as creatures of the night. As Esme set the waterhose to a gentle stream in order to feed her garden, Emmett carried trees from the nearby forest in order to replant them in the areas Esme had already fixed up. Rosalie watched her husband from inside while Alice gave them both manicures. Edward sat at the piano, wordlessly scribbling changes onto the piano composition he was writing while trying to ignore the busy minds of his family - as he could hear each and every thought thanks to the supernatural change he was forced into, he was picking up far too many images of the things Rosalie wanted Emmett to do to her when he was done "being manly", and it was interrupting his own concentration. Carlisle busied himself with reading the updates to medicinal practices, as he refused to take up another profession; the opposite of his ever-changing wife. Jasper, having been removed from the presence of his wife by the presence of make-up and "girl things" and the threat of a "much needed makeover", found himself in competition to get more done than Emmett, and was up to his knees in a variety of flowers that he was speed planting in Esme approved patterns around the house when he realized something was wrong.

When Jasper was turned, he had discovered that he had the ability to control the emotions of all living creatures. Like any good curse, it came with a horrible downside; he was also subject to _feeling_ their original emotions before he was given the chance to change them. He utilized that now, as his senses flared with life all at once. His hearing picked up twigs snapping and the Earth rumbling, as something heavy was stampeding right towards them. He could smell the strong odor of sweat, fur, and that strange, corrupt blood that belonged to the Quileute wolves. But it was the emotion that froze Jasper in confusion, unsure of whether to greet the intruders in a fighting stance or with a hand extended in peace - these wolves weren't feeling anger, hatred, or bloodthirst; they were feeling sympathy, love and an overwhelming sense of duty.

So Jasper stood there, squeezing the juice from a handful of violets he couldn't make himself drop as he prepared for anything. The first wolf tore through the trees, and came to a sliding stop. Jasper assumed his face had that "crazy" look that Alice kept whispering to him about, because he felt the strongest punch of fear from the small, shaggy dog. Jasper composed himself just in time for the next two wolves to leap from the forest and flank their fallen ally. Jasper didn't have to guess their intentions, their snarls and bared teeth told him it was time for a fight.

The first one, a tall and slender brown wolf, leapt at Jasper. The years of fighting Newborns trained the vampire to defend himself from head-on attacks; he gracefully stepped to the side and grabbed a handful of fur. The wolf had time to register his mistake as Jasper used the force of his tackle to spin him, and launch him back into the trees. The second wolf, a reddish-brown wolf with short fur, used the moment to try a similar attack. His launch was fronted with claws instead of teeth, and so Jasper ducked beneath it. He noted that the little wolf - probably Quil, from what he remembered of the day Victoria brought her army in - was starting to back away, and turned his focus entirely on the bigger threat. The wolf hit the ground in a run, tearing through Esme's fresh flowers as it made a quick circleback to face the vampiric foe.

"_Dogs!_"

Only a few feet away, Emmett's yell echoed through Jasper's supernatural ears. Jasper felt the anger surging through Emmett, and turned to see that the rest of the wolf pack had descended upon his larger brother and were now trying to wrestle him to the ground. Stronger and bigger by far, Emmett was not going down easy. The wolves, of course, should have already planned on that. They had pegged Emmett as the best fighter since the first day of the treaty, and knew better than to mess with him _alone_. Since their mutual battle, though, the wolves had updated their knowledge to include Jasper on the list as second. As the wolves pointedly ignored Esme until she grabbed one of them by the ears to pull him off her son, Jasper realized their tactic - they were picking off the "alphas" first; tearing down the offense to better break the defense.

Jasper was brought back into his own battle as Quil, suddenly determined, struck him from behind. The vampire felt the skin on his shoulder breaking as Quil bit down, latching on without a thought to his follow-up. Jasper cried out - a screeching, catlike snarl that sent birds flying far into the sky out of survival instinct. He grabbed Quil's ears and yanked upwards with all his strength, but the wolf had a tight grip and Jasper felt his new wound only stretching from the effort. The red wolf suddenly appeared, having sneaked around Jasper's eyesight while he was distracted. He jumped up, aiming for Jasper's head. Jasper abandoned his attempt to pry Quil away and switched to a dodge for the red wolf's efforts. He spun so that his shoulder was front and center when the red wolf's tackle hit. Quil was no longer attached, as the girth of the red wolf sent them both to the ground.

Pain burned through Jasper's arm, but he was going to have to let his expediated healing - another gift from being unhuman - act without assistance. The wolves were embarrassed over their failed attack, and were now looking towards Jasper with an overwhelming need to avenge their honor. Nevermind that they attacked him first; semantics were rarely considered on the battlegrounds.

A howl changed the course of the fight, as the wolves perked their ears to hear it. Despite Jasper sensing the wolves struggling to ignore it, both of them turned and ran back from where they came from. They weren't strong enough to ignore their nature. A blur ran passed Jasper and dived into the forest after them. Jasper knew from the smell and emotions it left behind that it was Emmett. Shortly following him was Edward and Rosalie, the latter with cottonballs still sticking between her toes and her hair up in curlers. Jasper looked at the wrecked flowerbed and sighed. Altough a part of him would always crave the thrill of battle, his stronger want was to live his next century in peace. He felt sorry for the flowers that Esme had hand-picked and delicately worked the ground for. As irrational as it seemed, he was angry at the wolf for ruining it. That was work he had done too, to make them beautiful for Esme, and in a manner of seconds it had all been destroyed.

A deep growl escaped Jasper's throat as his eyes turned black. Esme, Carlisle and Alice were close enough that Jasper knew Alice was afraid of something. But he didn't care at that moment. He knew the feeling as he was suddenly flying after his attackers; it was the moment when he ceased having control. He was in pure "vampire mode", as Bella so delicately put it. Jasper passed Emmett. He acknowledged that Emmett's eyes had turned a deep onyx as well, but also knew that he would be merciful. The others respected Carlisle's authority, and would rather run any plans of action by him for approval first. They didn't have decades of making their own decisions to compare it to. His previous life was not easily erased; and though Carlisle would be the man he'd bow to one day, it was not this day. This day he wasn't just going to _catch _those wolves... he was going to shred them to pieces like an enemy vampire and dance in their blood. Treaty be damned.

Edward, faster than even Jasper, was ahead in the chase; Rosalie was just behind him. He was close enough that he reached out, trying to grab the tail of the slowest wolf. The pack caught sight of him and two of the bigger ones fell back. Edward was flanked by the two, who snapped viciously at his hands. Edward grabbed the snout of one of them and pushed it into the ground. Rosalie dive-tackled the other one, slamming it's head against a tree. Jasper shot past them like a bullet. He could hear Edward yelling some silly nonsense about _the treaty_, as he predicted the others would, but ignored it. This was _war;_ those dogs already brought the fight to their home, and Jasper was looking forward to returning the favor. Maybe when he was done with them, he could even pick off the rest of the tribe. He would already be in trouble with Carlisle... and Alice...

His wife...

The wolf ahead of Jasper had stopped. The vampire, awoken from his bezerk, decided to not kill him. He stood a few feet away, watching Quil back up. Quil was certain he was already dead, as his friends back with Ed and Rose would be. He couldn't see into Jasper's mind, and thus couldn't possibly know that Jasper had remembered the reason he was putting up with all the frustrating rules in the first place. So instead, he radiated terror, and put on his best defense. It was the thought of Alice that stilled Jasper's wrath. That beautiful, pixie-like woman who had brought love and hope into Jasper's meaningless life so many years ago. She wanted to be in a family, to surround herself with people she loved and stories that brought her happiness. He would do anything to guarantee she had that. Killing the wolves might make her safer, but it had the potential to tear their family apart.

Edward's human mate, Bella, had intertwined her fate with the wolves as well as the vampires. She had also become Alice's best friend. To upset Bella was, in extension, to upset Alice. Carlisle wouldn't stand for it, Edward wouldn't stand for it, and Alice would be forced to choose... her family and friends, or her husband. Jasper couldn't stand to see Alice miserable. As Jasper eyed Quil, he knew that all the flee-bitten mongrels had to be alive at the end of the night.

"I'm not going to kill you," Jasper said, sending out waves of calm as he extended his arms to show he wasn't dangerous. In the moment he was distracted - a mistake he wasn't used to making - the other wolves had circled the area. Jasper smelled them and less than a fraction of a second later, a sharp pain tore through his hand. One of the wolves had opened the ambush with a direct hit. He tackled Jasper, grabbing the vampire's hand and pulling it to the side. Jasper brought his arm around for a powerful hit, digging his fingers into the wolf's pelt and smelling the sweet aroma of blood wafting through the air. Another appeared from the trees and grabbed Jasper's other arm, right above the elbow. He pulled in the opposite direction, but Jasper's own strength was considerable - they played tug-of-war with his body as the rest of the wolves made their presence known, including the two who were supposedly taken down by his siblings. One leapt up and struck Jasper square in the chest. It wasn't strong enough to break the skin, but it was enough that, with the combined forces of the two wolves on his arms, he fell to the ground. Suddenly, there was pain everywhere, as the wolves grabbed on with their teeth and held him down. Two pairs of teeth for each limb; the bigger ones latched on and pushed at his shoulders, where the previous wounds were already healed over. The smaller ones claimed his legs, and the two who were already attached readjusted their grip.

Jasper screamed and threw his weight forward. The wolves did not lose their grip. They mimicked Jasper's earlier move by using his own force to swing him back down. Jasper, angry, put full force behind a kick to a wolf's head. The two wolf's attached to his kicking leg registered surprised as he swung them around effortlessly. His foot connected with one of the smaller wolves, and it turned into a human woman as she lost consciousness and rolled away. With his leg almost free, Jasper began to thrash about. Although the ubiquitous burning caused by him pulling his own flesh from the enemies sharp teeth was strong, he could feel them losing their grip and pressed onward. They weren't used to having to hold their opponent down, he could tell. They weren't putting pressure where they needed to be, and were awkwardly shuffling their mass around as their giant bodies were all trying to occupy the same small space. Jasper was taking advantage of it. He managed to knock another wolf unconscious and get to a sitting position when he felt a mouth press itself against his neck.

Quil, confident in the presence of his pack, had seen an opportunity and taken it. His teeth were firmly against Jasper's neck, but he was not biting. He only needed to let Jasper know that his immortal life was close to ending. Jasper stilled, silently damning himself for underestimating Quil _twice._

"Hold him tight," Came a voice. Jasper didn't recognize the voice, as he didn't have much interaction with the Quileute's. Still, when Jasper looked at the human boy walking calmly from the forest, wearing only a pair of shorts, he knew who he was. Sam Uley, their leader.

Sam approached, his face painted like a demon from broadway, and his arms wrapped around a large book. The torn leather cover - bear skin, by the smell of it - didn't have any writing or clue to the contents, but Sam was holding it close to his chest like his most prized possession. When he got within arms reach of his captive, Sam, in one movement, flipped the book open to a page somewhere in the middle. Jasper wasn't sure if this was for show or not, since Sam stared right into his eyes without once glancing at the page he was supposedly reading from. He started chanting in a language that was unknown to the vampire. Quil had to shimmy to the side as Sam used his left hand to rip the buttons off Jasper's shirt. With his enemy's chest exposed, Sam started screaming. He reached his left hand towards the moon, and before Jasper could blink, he brought it down into the flesh right above his heart.

The pain was horrible. Jasper gasped, his voice not working as a warm fluid began to work its way through his chest. Sam pulled his hand back, and Jasper noticed the crimson hanging off each finger. Was that blood? From _him?_ The wolves released their grip, but Jasper found his limbs had grown heavy. He lost his strength and fell into the grass. The wolves all started to change back into their human forms, no longer needing their teeth. The emotion flooding the air around him was one of victory and anticipation.

He could feel the crisp, cool air rushing into his lungs. Having not _breathed _in so long, he tried to cough it back out.

_"Is he supposed to do that?_" Quil asked, worried.

Jasper was aware of the coldness in the center of his chest; all else was drowned out by the sensation of fire running through his veins for the second time in his life. He burned for five minutes, maybe ten - it was hard to keep track - when his heart came alive with a fluttering sensation. He could see the wolves all standing around him and watching whatever it was they did to him with doe-eyed curiosity. When he felt the first pump, a smile broke Sam's face, and the wolves began to howl in their human voices. Quil and Embry danced around him, arms interlinked in joy. Leah, who had stumbled up sometime during those moments, was crying tears of happiness. It took Jasper a moment to realize that the joy was _his._

Because for the first time in over a hundred years, Jasper Whitlock had a heartbeat.

**~+~  
****A/N:** I re-submitted this chapter after going over it again. Some of you may recognize this story from my personal website, and you may also realize that I've spruced it up a bit. Reviews are always nice, as my ability is changing and, hopefully, becoming better. I will be updating the next chapter within the week.


	3. Chapter 2

**~†~**

**Chapter 2.**

_"Is he dead?"_

_"No, his heart stopped again. It's been doing that for a while now."_

_"His blood - Sam's blood - is fighting, but that... whatever it is that makes them _dead _keeps winning back whatever it loses. His body is going to keep dying and coming back until one side or the other wins. __You just have to be patient."_

_"Yeah, but his heart's never been stopped for this long. I think he's losing."_

_"No, he's just all vampire again. It'll start again soon."_

_"Dude, his eyes are grey."_

_"What?"_

_"His eyes. They're grey. And his skin feels all clammy."_

_"Move out of the way!" ... __"Holy shit! He's dead!"_

_"What?"_

_"He's dead! He's stopped bleeding. It's all... it's all gone. We killed him! Shit!"_

_"No... no... he's a vampire! Vampires don't die!"_

_"Sam's spell worked. He's not a vampire anymore."_

_"He's dead! And he was human! SHIT!" ... "But we don't have to take the blame. This was Sam's fault!"_

_"I don't think Charlie is going to see it that way."_

_"Charlie hates the Cullen's! He will side with us."_

_"No, Charlie hates Edward. He actually likes the others."_

_"It doesn't matter, he's a cop. It's his job to uphold the law, and Charlie is a good man. He __will __being doing his job right. This is manslaughter, or negligent homicide."_

_"No. It doesn't have to be." ... "We can bury him."_

_"The vampires will smell it."_

_"There's a dead bear close to one-ten. You two go get it, and we'll place it over his grave. They won't smell anything."_

_"This won't work!"_

_"Yes it will!"_

_"What will we tell Sam?"_

_"We'll tell him the truth: there is no way to save these bloodsuckers."_

**~†~**

Jasper opened his eyes. Miles of dark green trees and tall, lush grass rewarded his effort. He recognized the area - it was somewhere north of Highway One-Ten and La Push road - but everything was different at the same time. The air was too hot and the sun too bright for the normally overcast town of Forks. There were no tiny heartbeats of skittering woodland creatures or soft whispers of wind caressing the leaves. Everything was completely still, except for a small, annoying buzzing sound, and a stench that was undescribable in it's terribleness.

A dry feeling in his throat made Jasper realize he was thirsty, but not the kind of thirsty that dominated his life for the past hundred years. It was a simpler thirst; one that _could_ wait, though he prefer it not. He slowly pushed himself into an upright position, feeling his sore muscles protest and complain. He hissed as a sharp pain at the base of his skull invaded his senses, making him nauseous. After he felt like he wasn't going to throw up anymore, the ageless boy moved to shield his eyes from the sun and block out some of what was causing his headache. He expected to see the tell-tale sparkling of his unnatural skin beneath the beams of light, and was surprised to see only a pale, dirty hand. Pale, but not as pale as it could be - not as pale as it _used_ to be.

The buzzing sound caught his attention again, and he turned his head to see he had been sharing space with a dark and furry lump. After a moment's sniffing, Jasper knew that the bad smell was coming from the lump. Used to smelling things on a much deeper level that humanly possible, he had the sense that his nose wasn't working force. As of the moment, he wasn't going to miss it too much; something that smelled that bad at a normal level, he didn't want to supernaturally enhance.

He noticed his leg was caught beneath it. He also noticed that the dark brown mats in it's fur matched the dark brown streaks across his clothing. It was as though he'd actually been under it and rolled out somehow. The thought was not pleasing. Determined to free himself, Jasper slowly began to wiggle free. He gagged as each slight movement rolled the smelly heap enough to let loose pockets of rotten air caught beneath it. The overwhelming urge to vomit caused his stomach muscles to tighten, and his headache to pulse with new, vivid life. Finally, his leg came free with a sick, moist _plop. _He could clearly see the bone and decayed muscle that had trapped his limb; he couldn't identify it by smell, but it was definately a carcass.

All the control Jasper had managed was lost. He curled to the side as his body emptied its stomach contents onto the ground. Old deer blood, or Jasper's last meal, coated the grass in buckets. Although the dark velvet sheen was beautiful in a way, Jasper was repulsed in a way he couldn't quite explain. He was a vampire, that's what he ate. Even if he wound up chucking it for whatever reason, the scent of it was enthralling. This... this taste wasn't delicious or enticing - it was coppery, and stale. He could also see the hints of yellow floating in it that he couldn't place. It almost looked like gastric acid, which, of course, he no longer produced.

_Did I eat human food? Is that why I feel like this? _He pondered.

Having lost some of an already little supply of strength, Jasper pulled himself to his feet. The world was fuzzier as he stood, and his belly started cramping, but he needed shade. Whatever had happened to him had left him right in the open, on the only spot where you could actually see the dirt beneath the never-ending stretch of green. Luckily, the forest had many large spots of shade to choose from. He limped his way over to the largest, cooling looking one and slid down. When he touched ground, he relaxed. Things were much nicer there beneath the tree, but it made him feel strange. His eyes were heavy, and his body felt so sluggish. So... _tired._

He closed his eyes.

To him, it was only a blink. Something he didn't need to do, but acted as part of his disguise as a normal human teenager. When he opened them, though, the surroundings had changed. Jasper noted it was only asthetically, but the sun had moved so far back that the forest was now mostly shade. The buzzing had also gotten louder. Jasper looked back at the furry lump, taken aback by the swarm of flies that hovered over it. Depending on when it was killed, that should have taken hours. The sun had also skipped ahead maybe half a day. He felt his headache coming back as he tried to find a logical reason why he couldn't remember what had just happened.

It was like he had lost a day... or two... or three... It was hard to accept that he'd been gone for so long, but he knew, somehow, that it was right. Three days he had been lying in the forest, over the treaty line and beneath a body. Three days nobody had found him, if they were looking at all. Three days he'd been... asleep? Abruptly, everything fell together. His skin, groggy senses, aches, pains, yellow puke, the gurgling of his belly, the fatigue... those were flesh problems. A living, blood pulsing, heart beating body's problem. Everything in his body was acting like it was alive.

Jasper could barely contain the sudden burst of energy that raced through his blood - _his_ blood. He was alive!

Vague flashes of the wolves danced through his mind, but he couldn't gather enough memories to be certain of how he was brought back from the undead. He did recall the most vital piece of information: Sam Uley was the mastermind. That and his own body as proof would be all he needed to change the course of the Cullen coven forever. He could imagine the looks on everyone faces when they saw him. Edward and Rosalie would be jealous. Alice would be delighted. Carlisle's guilt conquered by mollifcation when the second chance he'd given his children came to fruitation.

New lives. New _life_. He just needed a way to get home before they could all start theirs.

To know that he, the one that gave them all so much grief and trouble, would be the one who delivered repentence, and not those more favored because of their beauty, strength, and discipline, made his blood rush. He could almost feel it as it turned his cheeks pink in delight. It was going to be his magnum opus; the reason fate brought him to them. Feeling not like himself and more like Alice, he worked out some of his extra energy by cartwheeling in circles. The grass tickling his palms each time he was upside down, like it did when he had been a young child, playing in his mother's beautiful yard.

The image of an old house with chipped white paint and a fence with a creaky gate stopped Jasper cold. In his mind, he could see a little girl with golden blonde curls and a dirty blue dress running around, as a woman who shared her eyes and curls worked at laundry hanging from a line of wire. Her husband would be inside, smoking a pipe and complaining to his son about what he called 'yankee politics'. His son would be listening, completely enraptured by the power of his father's seemingly infinite patriotism. His father would light a fire inside his soul, and set him on a path to fight against the immoral and radical Republican party and their Abolitionist movement that sought to overthrow the constitutional rights for each state to govern itself, especially on the matters of slavery. He would join the army of the seceded states, the Confederacy, and three years later, disappear after a rapid succession of promotions left him a promising future in the military.

The feeling of nostalgia washed over him, numbing his joy into a realization of what he could never get back. These weren't lost memories, not the ones that burned away when Maria's venom stole into his body and twisted him into something different. They were things he'd forgotten in his second life. Things that Alice had made unimportant. But they were important to him, they were the parts that made being human _wonderful_.

Depression settled in his soul as quickly as his delight had. What was he and Alice going to live for? He could always get to start them anew, in some other state with some other fake background, but he could never take Alice home to meet his family. He could never watch his little sister become a beautiful woman, and chase away jerks who thought they were the perfect suitor for her. His family estate was ashes; his heritage no longer valid.

Carlisle and Esme were wonderful substitutes for grandparents, but Jasper felt bitter that his children - now that he could safely produce them, he assumed - would never have a true legacy.

_And why haven't they found me?_ His mind whispered traitorously. _Haven't they been looking? Should I really believe that all the powers in the world would keep them from figuring out where I am?_

Still of a military mind, it took him all of three seconds to realize that he couldn't start doubt the others yet. They'd never let him down, and there were a variety of reasons why he could have been overlooked. Most prominent being the knowledge that the wolves blocked Alice's vision, limiting them to their natural senses. Then there was the treaty, which he had no doubt Carlisle's infinite mercy would keep him from breaking. War with the wolves was not on the table, as far as Carlisle was concerned, and that would keep many of their attempts to search La Push on hold. Of course, why the wolves would just abandon him was also confusing. He could vaguely recall voices discussing something about him, but it was lost to the morning now.

"Instead of worrying about all this, why don't you hurry up and ask them in person?" Jasper suggested to himself. He was shocked at the sound of his voice. It was unfamiliar to his ears, having last been filtered through the crystal clarity of his ethereal vampiric vocal chords. As a human, his accent was deeper, his voice tinted with a slight rasp; it was so fleshy.

Jasper didn't want to stop listening to his new voice, so he hummed as he took a look around, trying to pinpoint his exact geographic location. It was wolf territory, so he wasn't often in it. This made it harder for him, but the direction of the sun and knowledge of what he'd observed when he _was_ tiptoing around La Push gave him a pretty good idea. He also knew the maps, always keeping an eye out for good hunting areas and an escape route in case they ever needed it. He was pretty sure which way was Forks, but he hit a second wave of anxiety when he realized that he couldn't just waltz through town looking like he'd been mauled by a mountain lion.

The Cullen estate was deep in the woods, three hours human walking distance to the south east. If he stuck to the woods and walked around Forks, it would be closer to eight hours. It would also be very dangerous in his fragile body, and mostly in Quileute territory. He could cross the river, keeping to the game reserves, but he'd had to walk through at least a portion of community housing in order to reach his goal. If any of his classmates recognized him, the police would go straight to the Cullen house for investigation. He was certain Carlisle could use his easy charisma to charm the police with a string of lies that came as second nature to a man whose life depended on falsities, but that really would be an inconvenience. The scandal would force the Cullen's to move away for a short time, which meant trouble with Charlie, since Edward would never leave Bella so abruptly ever again. The last time was disasterous.

The easiest route would be to somehow get cleaned up and in new clothes. Then he could take any direction he wanted, passing through his town unnoticed. Just the local boy Jasper Hale, strolling through town, obviously taking a break from his weird, large family.

_Perhaps going to visit my future sister-in-law? _He turned the idea over in his head a few times before nodding. It was perfect. Once the Quillayute river was behind him, he only had a few short minutes to the Swan residence. He wasn't sure if Charlie or Bella would be home, but he could use their shower and borrow some clothes. Nobody would question seeing him around the property, and he could use their phone to let Alice know he was alright. He needed to hear her voice, and needed for her to hear his. Were the roles reversed, Jasper would have been going mad with worry.

The fact that it could have so easily been somebody else who the wolves got was not lost on him. In fact, it was that knowledge that got him started on his trek with a kick in his step. He had to get home before anybody else had the chance to soil his surprise. Bears, wolves, cougars... The only thing that worried him as he faced nature in a weak body was what he was going to do if Alice decided she was going to stay immortal forever, leaving him to die alone.

**~†~**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3.  
****~†~**

Bella didn't know how long she sat in the parking lot of her school waiting for Jacob to reply to her text, with her knees pulled all the way to her chin and the peculiar bright sun breaking through the window to burn her exposed skin - which wasn't much, given that she brought a rain jacket for what she presumed would be _normal_ weather. She did know that she spent exactly thirty-two minutes trying to get a hold of Edward. She dialed his number, listened to every ring go unanswered, then hung up to try again. It was important that she talked to him, if only for the fact that she hadn't spoken to him since that horrible night.

Three days had passed, and the memory was still vivid in her mind. Edward had come in through the window, an usual occurrence that Bella had come to rely on. This time, though, Edward had a very distinct air of disconcert. His narrative was delivered monotonously - mechanical, very unlike his usual demeanor. And what a horrible tale of betrayal he told without letting a single emotion slip through. Bella wasn't sure how she should feel, hearing about how her friends, her _close _friends, had broken the treaty with her family in a fit of violence. Was Jacob angry about the wedding? Was Sam Uley just trying to remove the 'threat' before it grew? Surely they all knew about her plans to become undead… Although he didn't speak a single word to support the idea, Bella knew from his cold persona that night that he blamed _her_ for the Quileute's transgressions, and the more she mused over it, the more she believed it herself. She _was_ to blame.

"_Are you going to stay with me tonight?"_ Bella had asked, after Edward was through laying a thick emotional numbness over his bride-to-be.

"_No,"_ Edward stated. _"We have to find the dogs who took my brother. The diplomatic way." _He spoke these last words with a hint of anger. Bella could only assume it wasn't his idea to be peaceful. It was Carlisle's, she was certain. He was the cool-headed one.

"_Are you going to war?" _

Edward gave her an incredulous look. _"We did when it was _you_ in danger."_

"_I need you here, Edward. I need Jacob safe." _She started to plead. It wasn't her finest moment, but the image of Jacob and Edward tearing each other to pieces was very clear in her nightmares. She couldn't have it transcend her worst fears and into the real world. She couldn't stand the thought of losing either one of them… not again, anyway. _"Please don't hurt the wolves."_

"_Jacob-"_ Edward spat the name. _"-and his pack will only be getting what he brought upon himself when he attacked my family."_

"_When Jasper chased them, wasn't he also just 'asking for it'?" _

If Edward could cry, Bella knew he would've started the moment his eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched. His rage at her words was apparent, and Bella was aware she should have felt guilty for her seemingly unjust words; the Cullen's had risked their lives many time for her, and they had every right to expect the same from her, if only in spirit. Still, she wasn't going to feel sorry over an opinion that needed to be voiced. All she could think about was Jacob and his goofy smile. She had wringed his heart with her love for Edward, and wasn't about to allow a physical repeat of the same thing.

Edward turned and left without a warning, or a goodbye. It took a moment for Bella to realize he had done so, since his movements were so swift and fluid. She ran to the window and stared out into the forest, tears building in her eyes. It was then that something started to eat at Bella's soul.

It wasn't guilt. It was that thought that kept with her as the minutes rolled into hours, and hours into days - that this was her fault. Somehow.

The world around Bella's car came alive as students and teachers vacated school grounds. One by one, their cars all disappeared until the parking lot was completely empty. Bella never looked up from her phone. Never saw Mike Newton and her other friends peering at her, debating if they should check and make sure she wasn't going to have a breakdown like before - when Edward left her the first time. Finally, at what might have been the hundredth time she typed his number, the ringing stopped.

"Bella, please, we have to do this," He begged.

It took her a second to realize that his voice wasn't a recording. She found herself struggling for words - to state her argument, and possible apology, in an eloquent and adult fashion.

"Edward, you can't start fighting! They're my friends!"

She sounded pathetic, the way her voice shook when the tears started rolling down her cheeks. She could feel her face growing hot, the vortex of feelings inside her threatening to make her head explode. She was also grateful that Edward couldn't see her at the moment; how ugly she was looking, with the liquids pouring out of her and her hair and clothes a crumpled expression of the turmoil she was going through.

"They started it!" Was Edward's equally blunt - and perhaps childish - retort. "They attacked us first, Bella, and now Jasper's gone. We have to defend our family."

"It doesn't matter who did what first, what matters is who is mature enough to end it!" she finally said.

There was a sound that might have been a snort, could have been wind against her windows. She wasn't sure, as it was so soft and lifeless.

"I don't think you're quite understanding this. We're not fighting over some stupid treaty line, we're fighting over my brother's life." A pause. "Jasper's gone from Alice's visions."

Bella was surprised to hear that. Despite being told otherwise, she had honestly expected to find that the wolf attack was just some misunderstanding. Perhaps while chasing another vampire, they'd simply gotten confused - something innocent like that. When somebody lost their _future_… For a second, her chest was so heavy with realization that she stopped breathing.

"Gone?" She was panicked. "But, can't that also mean the wolves are just still nearby? Can't you just corner Sam and read his mind? Find out that way?"

"We tried that already. These dogs are learning new tricks, and blocking my powers seems to be one of them."

Bella knew that with the exception of her somehow impenetrable mind, Edward's gift was omnipotent. How the Quileute's might have found a way to block it was both exciting and terrifying.

"Can you at least hold me tonight? I'm still a part of this family, too." Bella gave Edward many seconds to answer. When he didn't take any of them, she added: "I need you. I love you."

The ring on Bella's finger felt heavy as Edward once again remained silent. He had given her that ring - his mother's ring - in a misguided vision of happily ever after. Bella had disagreed with it and everything it stood for, until she realized how happy it was going to make Edward. How happy it was going to make _them_, forever belonging to each other. They were going to be wed, and after the wedding, Bella was going to be immortal. It was a fairytale ending.

She couldn't tell if he was truly contemplating her needs or just thinking of an excuse to give her in his extended silence. In the end, he appeared to do neither.

"We'll see, Bells." Then, as an afterthought: "I'm a bit surprised that you're choosing them over us. I thought you'd already made up your mind as to which side you were on when you agreed to marry me."

"Edward, you don't understand. I'm not choosing sides. I want to find Jasper, I really do. I just… it breaks my heart when I have to think about people I love fighting each other."

"You've been friends with Jacob for a year. Alice and Jasper have been married for _sixty_, and I've been their brother for nearly that long. Our binds are much stronger."

Bella nodded, even though Edward wouldn't see it, but her mind was still turning for any thought that would give her an upper hand in the argument. "Remember when you left me? You can't expect my heart to know the difference between sixty years or one."

"I'm sorry."

"Please, just promise not to hurt anybody and I'll be happy."

"I… will do my best." Then, with a slight, inhuman growl. "No. No, I promise you that I won't hurt Jacob."

"And the Clearwater's?"

Another growl, this one just a touch more amused. "The rest of them will only get a just punishment. Just…stay away from them a few more days, okay?"

Bella smiled. Jacob was protected and she'd done her job as a friend to make sure of it; the rest of them would survive their encounter, Bella supposed, since Carlisle was so adamant against death in all forms. As she thanked Edward and allowed farewells and reminders of her strong affection to him to pour from her lips until the very last second before her phone closed and the electrical connection to him was severed, Bella knew she had to find Jacob. Things were going to change for her in a big way much sooner than graduation, when she planned on waltzing down a long aisle in a dress that looked like it had been drowned in a river of a lace.

She could stand being mortal enemies with the Quileute's for all of eternity much in the same way that she could stand losing free visiting rights to her human family. It wasn't a _positive_ aspect of vampiric life, but as long as Jacob was still alive, it was an acceptable trade.

**~†~**

Humanity was _not_ fun. Miles and miles of endless terrain, shifting consistency without logical reason behind it, stretched forth from all sides. Tiny little holes spotted the otherwise firm dirt, creating perfectly foot-sized traps for wandering creatures to step into and trip. Jasper hit every single one of them, as far as he knew. He'd torn through the knees on his slacks, scuffed the toes of his boots, and torn the skin on his palms, but he still had miles to go.

"Oh, fuck me," Jasper punched the ground as he tripped - again - and scraped flesh from his kneecap. While the pain was brief, it was the repetitive lack of learning that was getting on Jasper's last nerve.

So many years of just flying over the imperfections of the Earth had him trained to just waltz wherever he pleased, not giving any attention to what it was he was stepping on. Now that gravity was working at full force again, things weren't so easy. The hardest of all being overwriting his basic instincts. And in those boots! Those horrible, horrible boots that Alice had thought were so "stylish" were not so practical with their hard sole and pointed toes. He could feel the heat and sweat building underneath the leather, rubbing his skin until it blistered and oozed grease.

What a nightmare it was, to be human again.

Jasper avoided looking at the blood as he applied pressure to his most recent injury. It was still a wonder to see crimson living beneath his skin, and it filled him with such delight to feel it's warm, wet substance and know that it was _fresh_. But the knowledge that he was a meat sack was beginning to weigh on his mind. He had dropped some notches on the food chain, and wandering around with nothing to distract him, Jasper was counting the ways he could be eaten in a second. With bears, coyotes, wolves - and not of the spirit warrior variety - mountain lions, bobcats, snakes, and spiders all taking residence in the surrounding forest, he was just a giant buffet walking around unprotected.

The blood was still leaking from his wound when Jasper stood back up, but he couldn't help that. He was close to the Quilayute, though, and could clean it there. He followed the sounds of a soft trickling stream until the trees gave way to open plain, and the open plain fell into clean, blue water. A couple of minutes passed, and Jasper had traversed the plains and was scooping up his first handful of water.

He had maybe four ounces to drink before moving on. Although his body cried for rest, and nice, cooling swim, he had only an hour to go to reach the Swan house. He couldn't stop, not when he was close to a much better place. Someplace with food, and air conditioning, and soap.

As he continued his journey, he drove his mind away from the topic of predators - something that was beginning to invade his mind as approached another large cluster of trees. He didn't like the coldness that settled in his stomach when he imagined what the forest floor would look like colored with his blood and decorated with his very human guts. Instead, he started to recall every tiny detail of being a vampire.

He tried to remember what it felt like, as a vampire, when the leaves and grass brushed him or when the wind pushed him gently with its soft force. He squinted, wiggled his nose, and even stopped walking for a second to repeatedly slap a branch that had fallen down to his shoulder, yet nothing was sparking the gears of memory. That knowledge seemed to have escaped, and though it might not matter in the long run, Jasper was curious about how much more was going to follow after it. Was it going to be like when he was changed and lost his sisters name? Is changing him back going to make him forget his favorite birthday party? Maria? Alice?

"I don't think so," Jasper said. He relished the sound of his new voice perhaps a bit too much, since talking to himself had become a perpetual habit in the past few hours. "Let's see now…"

Jasper continued his walk, verbally recounting everything he could from the time he had met Maria, the beautiful Spanish vampire who had sired him. When the trees parted and the familiar white house appeared, Jasper had reached recent years.

"My father's name is Carlisle, but we say he is my uncle and he adopted me and Rosalie after our parents died because me and her look so much like him. Sally is my mother…"

In what was still rather inhuman, Jasper stopped in his tracks. He couldn't help but breathe and blink, but only a vampire would have noticed the very slight way those disturbed his otherwise perfect stillness. Any human would have thought him a statue, staring into nothingness with a look that Jasper knew was a good outward presentation of the sudden terror that seized him.

Who… the fuck… was Sally?

Esme was his mother's name. Es-me. She had dark hair and yellow eyes, but her personality was warm and inviting. Everyone who ever met her said that was "mother-like", and would have gladly come to live under her care within a few moments of knowing her. She came to Carlisle's shoulders, as best evident in a photo of her and Carlisle that was kept on the desk in the study for their father to gaze upon when he spent late nights doing research. Sally was just a name. Though Jasper had always mused on the name when he came across it, it held no significance for him beyond being fashionable in the years of his first life. He was fascinated with the name in the same way he was with the very confederate sounding last name of "Mayfield", and peach pies - they were all things that reminded him of Texas, the place of his birth and death.

The fact that his mind was playing tricks on him and switching Esme's name with something that only had nostalgic value was frightening. His mind was favoring fantasy over reality.

Just as sudden as he had stilled, Jasper started moving again. He wanted to be with Alice at that moment, and that need grew stronger at the revelation that his brain was now open to human frailty as well. She would keep his memories from spiraling into a menagerie of half-truths; she was his rock.

The first thing Jasper did as he planned for his break-in was to check the driveway. Not wanting to be seen by any humans nearby, he carefully made his way around the house to where he could glance at the front. There was neither a police cruiser or Bella's big red truck. He also took a peak around the neighborhood. Although the Swan's had a bit of distance between them and the next closest residents, there was a still a rather long and well used stretch of road in front. Anybody passing by would see the disheveled blonde and, most likely, jump to the wrong conclusion.

The streets, thankfully, were empty. Satisfied that he was all alone, Jasper decided to try the front door just straight. He crossed the yard and hopped up the short steps on the porch. One quick turn of the knob proved that the door was open. Jasper stepped back and glanced up at the nice, cool, tempting home as the door slowly swung open to reveal its insides. He was normally on the outside of the house and couldn't recall a time his foot had ever crossed the threshold for more than a second, yet the feeling of knowing the house intimately was strong. Through Alice and Edward, he had come to see every tiny little detail when he imagined what it should look like. He also knew the floor plan of the house. Right beside the door was the staircase, which led to everywhere he'd need to be: Charlie's room, and the bathroom. It wouldn't take him very long to get what he needed and leave.

The first thing was his appearance and smell. He ran the risk of being in the home when the Swan's arrived, but by hook or crook he was going to get himself cleaned up. Jasper delicately crossed the line separating the house from the porch. Trying not to feel like a crook, he closed the door, latched the deadbolt that Bella had forgotten about on her way to school that morning, and ascended the stairs. He noted the location of the bathroom, right at the top, before pulling his memory to location Charlie's bedroom.

He didn't dawdle as he found it; he went straight for the closet. His eyes scanned over the articles of clothing until he located a pair of jeans that were nondescript a nice, blue button-up top that he had never seen Charlie wearing. He wasn't sure if it was a treasured shirt or a disliked one, but Charlie not wearing it tagged it with a higher chance of him not recognizing it as his own. Jasper didn't want to have explain more than a subtle break-in when and if the police sheriff found a stranger in his house.

He then turned to the large oak dresser-drawers. He pulled each handle, revealing all the ways Charlie just crammed his clothes in there, and selected one cotton tee shirt, one pair of nondescript white briefs, and a pair of socks. Although he didn't pick the shirt and underwear according to fashion, he did choose socks with a slightly tougher heel and toe for his boots. Maybe they wouldn't hurt so bad when he showed up at the Cullen estate. With an armful of clothes, Jasper backtracked until he was at the bathroom again. He opened the door, but had to divert his eyes the minute the wall came into view. Standing right in front, so that none could miss their reflection in it, was a large mirror.

Jasper didn't want to see himself. He dodged back into the hallway, hitting his shoulder against the doorframe as he did. He thought it was ironic that humans told legends of vampires not casting a reflection, since he never could quite make himself look at his own. Although he had never cared if he had been 'beautiful' - that was the adjective that the girls at high school used in conjunction with his name - he did care that he had permanent reminders of several vampires he'd ever killed. Too many horrors he'd lived through.

His first scar came the first morning Jasper had woken up as a vampire. The three sisters - Maria, Lucy and Nettie - had gone through the night picking young men to join their coven. Time would reveal that they didn't have particular care in most of the people they chose to change, so leaving them in a large group when they were still volatile was common practice. One of the ones left with Jasper was a panicky fellow, whose name Jasper wasn't sure he ever knew. Upon feeling his first thirst, and smelling the human blood that still resided in the bodies surrounding him, the newborn fool attacked.

Needless to say, Jasper survived. He didn't remember how, but he did know that the glossy crescent shaped glob of mangled flesh above his left elbow was the first of thousands, each one exactly alike. Each one a memory he wouldn't mind losing.

Averting his eyes this time, he entered the bathroom and set about doing his intended task. He noted that the bathroom was small and looked exactly like an old farmhouse bathroom ought to look. The floor was wooden, the walls covered in floral paper, and the bathtub/shower combo had a glass sliding door. He smiled at the quaint room, thinking of all the ways Alice and Esme would want to change it. But he liked it. It was cozy. Jasper dropped Charlie's clothes on the toilet - which looked clean enough, once he shut the lid - and stripped down. There was one giant wicker basket standing underneath two towel racks. He then put the stopper in the drain, and started filling the tub with water that was warm but not boiling hot. He didn't wait for it to be full before he stripped down and hopped in. He _couldn't_ wait.

As the water slowly rose up around him, his physical pains started to ease. He had calluses where previous blisters were already drying, causing painful and itchy spots. His legs and arms were chafing where his sweat provided a bit too much lubrication for the fabric of his outfit. Bruises from everything… all the discomfort melted into the water, no longer mattering.

Humanity hadn't been very pleasant so far, but it did have one advantage. As a vampire, most everything he felt was muffled - he couldn't feel the silky way water danced across his skin through the toughness of his supernatural layers, and the warm temperature wouldn't have registered since he no longer had those receptors. But now, as a human, it was all strong. The way his muscles contracted and then loosened under the heat. The way the water tickled as it created waves. It was the greatest thing he had ever felt in a long time.

There were two bars of soap on the side, and Jasper chose the green one over the white. He started to scrub off the cakes of mud, blood, and whatever else that was clinging to his skin. The effort turned the water a strange brownish-yellow color, and made it grainy. Once he was clean and the bath was no longer enjoyable, he drained the water and turned on the shower. Oh, what a wonder _that_ was! In contrast to the smooth bath, the strong pulse of the shower head was beating his physical body. He turned the knob labeled "Hot" until steam started to rise. But it felt marvelous. Jasper wasn't one to linger in the shower, but this was a day for exceptions and rule-breaking. He let the shower run for nearly ten minutes before the aches and cramps were dull memories. Noting that his time wouldn't last, Jasper got back to the task at hand: becoming presentable.

Charlie's shampoo smelled like spices and sawdust, and Bella's was honey-vanilla. He smiled at the generic brands glued to the front, remembering the fit Alice had thrown when he had tried to bring home some of the same. She was so set on being fashionable that she sometimes missed the fact that they were the same thing. He squeezed a handful of Bella's out, using the softer soap to untangle his blonde locks. Once he rinsed it completely out, he ran a handful of Charlie's through as well, just for the smell.

When all was done and his skin was pink and puffy, Jasper turned the water off and stepped out. He took a towel from the rack and quickly dried off. Charlie's clothes weren't tailored to fit Jasper's body, but they fit better than he thought they would. Charlie had broader shoulders, a shorter torso, and longer legs. He was also heavier than Jasper, and only slightly shorter. The clothes, of course, fit generally the same way. But they would do until he could get some of his own back.

Jasper slid on the socks, but decided to leave his boots until he was ready to go. He cleaned out the bathtub, mopped up some stray water, and wrapped his dirty clothes up in the towel. He then set the towel and his boots out in the hallway. With his stuff out of the way, Jasper scanned the room for anything out of the ordinary that he might have missed. The steamy mirror was all that was amiss, and Jasper had no desire to clean it. He wasn't ready to see his reflection yet, and it would dry on its own anyway.

He started to pick up his things from the hallway, when another cramp struck Jasper's left leg. He dropped to the ground, pulling his knee close and cursing with every foul word he knew. The muscle throbbed for a painful second, before it began to loosen up again.

"What the hell am I thinking?" Jasper yelled, again savoring the dirty sound of his human voice. "_Walk_ home? Walk _home?_ You are a goddamned idiot, Jasper Whitlock."

When the contraction was mostly gone, Jasper slowly rose back to his feet. He hissed as his leg didn't allow him to stretch out too much without a sharp reminder. He threw his boots and clothes down the stairs, careful only to avoid hitting the walls and knocking a picture down. Then he limped down after them.

He considered using the kitchen phone, but decided on the one right beside their couch instead. The stairwell opened up into a small hallway with a living room - no separator - and the kitchen tucked away behind an open doorframe in view of Charlie's chair. The phones were at equal distances from Jasper, but the one in the living room was right beside the couch. And he really wanted to sit down.

The walking eased the cramp a bit, but he still breathed in relief when he dropped himself onto the large cushions. Though the Swan couch wasn't the most pleasant piece of furniture he'd ever sat on, aesthetically or functionally, he still felt it forming a warm shell over his body as he sank into it.

The phone - one of those hard plastic, ivory colored classics - sat just far enough that Jasper would have to move in order to use it. He extended his arm, pouting at how far away it was. He didn't want to _move_. All the benefits of the hot bath were disappearing. He was achy again, but this time it was more of a deep, calm pain of a settling bruise rather than the sharp pain of the newly formed. Even if it weren't suddenly a chore to stir his muscles, he was warm, and the warmth was lulling.

Yet, if he stilled for a few moments, chances were that he would get too comfortable and fall into sleep. Charlie or Bella, whomever drove fastest, would find this intruder in their house, wearing their clothes.

"And I'll say, this chair is _too_ soft."

Jasper laughed at himself, thinking of Goldilocks and three bears. Most people didn't know that the first telling of the story had placed a decrepit woman in place of the cute, bouncy little girl; the second telling had said old woman impaled on a cross. Though he didn't doubt Charlie was a suitable substitute for a father grisly, he did doubt his fate would be as kind as the second telling. There was just something about the Cullen males that got under the sheriff's skin, even before Edward started dating his daughter, and Jasper had always wondered if he somehow suspected their true nature.

Pouting at his conundrum, Jasper decided he would, indeed, lean forward so that his wiggling fingers could grasp the cold receiver. Alice's cell phone was halfway dialed when Jasper rested his head against the arm of the couch. The phone kept ringing as he closed his eyes, yawning.

Alice never answered her phone, but Jasper never noticed. He was dreaming about Sally, who looked like Rosalie, aside from her bright green eyes.

~†~

Isabella Marie Swan stared at the steering wheel. Although her conversation with Edward had fixed whatever problem she'd caused - she hoped - the one with her father made things worse. She now had an entire weekend to herself. She planned on spending as much of that time as possible with her father, but Billy Black, fearing the upcoming confrontation and knowing far too much to not have said _anything_ to her, had invited him out for a fishing weekend. Charlie had packed his bag and tackle box that morning, and Bella was going to have to make him a picnic basket, or else the two might come home sick.

She had the entire house to herself for the weekend, if she couldn't find Jacob.

Dreading the situation, Bella sat in her car until the sky was turning orange. Knowing that she couldn't outrun her agony, she turned the key until the clicks became a steady roar. The sky turned dark before a familiar house popped out from the surrounding forest. Bella spun the wheel, parking purely by instinct in front of it. As she turned in, her front lights highlighted the shape of her brick driveway.

_Charlie isn't home_, Bella noted.

Bella turned off her car and hopped out, making sure to grab her belongings out of the passenger's side first. She was running through a mental list of the contents of their refrigerator as she crossed the lawn. They had just enough stuff to make very good bacon omelets. She ascended the stairs and turned the doorknob. The door didn't move as Bella ran into it, so certain she had been that it was open. A puzzled look crossed her face, but then she realized that she must have remembered to lock it this time. She picked her house key from the ring and opened the door.

A boot went flying as the door swung against it. Bella silently cursed as she entered the house; there were clothes just piled up in front of the door. She could see from a cursory glance that they were men's clothing, and wondered when Charlie had decided that the floor was a good place for dirty clothes. Bella flipped on three lights, then picked up the laundry on her way to the kitchen, without once looking over at the couch. She dropped her school bag on the table, crossed the kitchen to the washing machine that was tucked behind some doors, and dropped the laundry on top. Stretching as she did so, Bella turned back to the fridge so that she could prepare Charlie's dinner and picnic basket.

When she got to the fridge, she noticed that something had changed. Held on by a little fish magnet was a note on yellow paper. Bella frowned, realizing that Charlie must have been home, and having locked the door after him. Bella moved the fish so that she could read the note.

_Bella,  
__Got off work early, so met up w/Billy early. Left credit card on table for pizza & emergency. Have fun, throw a party. Invite Jacob, Billy says he's not too well these days.  
__Charlie_

Disappointment filled Bella's heart. She wasn't going to get a farewell dinner with her father. It was quickly replaced by the knowledge that Jacob was still in Forks, filling Bella with new energy. She bit her lip as she debated driving down to see him. Though it would make Edward angry, his family wasn't going to start their hunt until later. She had time for a quick visit.

Bella pulled the credit card from beneath her backpack and slipped it into her back pocket. She headed back through the door frame. It was then, when she had no excuse not to, that she saw the figure asleep on the couch. After falling in love with a vampire, meeting the Volturi, and being hunted down, Bella wasn't _as_ easy to scare as before. The idea of an intruder was almost expected these days. Still, Bella very cautiously approached the nearby lamp, turning the shade so that more light poured onto the couch then it did her side of the room.

Illuminated by the lamp, Bella could clearly see the man, her mind just couldn't believe it. He was _asleep_, which was a physical impossibility for his kind. Vampires didn't sleep. They didn't need to. And his skin, there was something different about it. His face was still recognizably his, but there was something _off_. His eyebrows perhaps a bit more crooked; his jaw not as sharp.

Was he pretending to be asleep? Was there somebody else around? Somebody to fear?

Unsure of what to do, Bella took another cautious step, but this one was towards her future brother-in-law. "Jasper, what are you doing here? Alice is going crazy looking for you!"

She wasn't sure why, but she found herself whispering. It didn't matter, though, Jasper would hear her with his super hearing.

When the missing man didn't stir, Bella took some more steps towards him. She was beginning to feel dread. Something was definitely wrong, and she was beginning to fear that his _sleeping_ wasn't a guise to fool a nearby enemy. She didn't think a vampire could die without being dismembered and burnt, but with the wolves blocking Edward and managing to hide from a coven of super beings, perhaps they had discovered a new way to end the undead?

"Jasper, if you're alive, please wiggle your fingers or something."

Nothing.

Bella finished the distance between herself and the couch. She noticed the phone was off the cradle and set it back right. She then turned on the lamp beside the couch, so that she could see better.

As she stared down at Jasper, she could see him a bit clearer. His face _was_ different, but only just slightly. He no longer had the appearance of a chiseled marble statue, but that of a living, fleshy creature. There was fat lining his face, making his cheeks a bit rounder, his jaw a bit softer, and his nose less fine. He had a crooked top lip, and his skin was marked with freckles.

But it was his scars that drew her attention. His sleeve was rolled up just enough that she could see part of the first ones. Unlike the first time she noticed them, she didn't need to rely on the shadows to reveal their shape. His skin was pale, but not as pale as it used to be, and the scars were a deep white. They clearly showed in the same way the scratch on Charlie's hand did - like the rest of the skin around them was actually _alive_.

"JASPER!"

Bella's cry was heard this time. The thing that was off became apparent to Bella when Jasper's eyes flew open upon his awakening, revealing the dark green iris' in place of the yellow ones she was so used to seeing. She found herself quickly backing up, her heart racing and her eyes widening as she fumbled to say what it was that she now knew... "You're not a vampire!"

**~†~  
****A/n: **I know it's taken a long time to get this chapter out, and I'm disappointed that almost the entire chunk of the last portion was untouched from the original story. However, I can't get it to sound exactly the way I want it to, and would rather move on in the story and come back for edits later than dwindle in the same place for another day.


End file.
